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U.S.Navy’s Newest Fighter Jet F-35C

Fox 43 // November 27, 2017

The U.S. Navy is is looking to the F-35C to become the future of air combat aircraft to eventually replace some of the aging legacy F18's. According to pilot Captain Rick Crecelius, the F-35C is a fifth generation fighter jet jam-packed with technological upgrades. "It's indescribable. The leap in capability that is made between the legacy platform and the F35."

Captain Rick Crecelius, call sign "Slash," has been a navy pilot for 25 years. He flies the new F-35C and says the difference is immediately noticeable. "The piloting is almost an after thought. It's so easy to fly. Taking off and landing. Even the guys who are taking it out to the carrier right now say, 'Wow this thing is really super good to the pilot'. It's a pilot friendly airplane to land on the boat."

In the cockpit, the traditional knobs and control switches are essentially gone. Crecelius says "No switches. Everything is like having a big giant iPad slapped on the dash. And that's how you interact with the airplane."